Popular Elgin Academy teacher Slumko Tsotsi leaves school after 23 years
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A WELL-LOVED Elgin Academy teacher is retiring after more than 20 years of service to the school.
Slumko Tsotsi, who was principal teacher of philosophy and RMPS for 23 years, left the academy for the final time at the start of February.
Mr Tsotsi was forced to leave apartheid South Africa and found himself in Scotland, on the isle of Mull, in his early 20s.
After working at a youth centre on Mull, he moved to Glasgow – the city which he says "rehabilitated and educated" him.
In 1998, a job came up at Elgin Academy. Despite being a little hesitant to move north, Slumko took the job and never looked back.
Twenty-three years on, as he prepares to return to his hometown of East London in a very different South Africa, Slumko thanked pupils and staff for making his time at the school so enjoyable.
"It was a wonderful and utterly enjoyable 23 years," he said. "That includes the difficult times, although they were very rare.
"The pupils have been brilliant. I don't take it for granted that former and current pupils stop me in the street to talk to me and tell me about their lives.
"I find that really life-enhancing and I'm fortunate that kids see me as someone worth talking to outside the classroom. It's unique and I love it.
"I had some beautiful goodbye cards, letters and emails from pupils and staff – and colleagues came in on my last day to share some non-alcoholic drinks.
"Some of them have said they plan to come on holiday to South Africa and have holidays with me, which would be a really nice way for me to give back.
"Although I'm moving back to South Africa for good, I'll be back every year. I couldn't live without Scotland."
While Slumko is excited to return to a more modern South Africa, he will remain grateful for the help Scotland gave him during the Apartheid.
"I was not a major player in the Apartheid but I was doing work under the support and cover of the Anglican Church and the government chased anybody who was doing anything," he explained.
"So I had to leave and I was helped by Glaswegians.
"Coming to Scotland has been very good for my health. I thank Scots for what they did."
Slumko has never forgotten his roots – and a permanent link between Elgin Academy and Lyteville Primary School in South Africa was set up two decades ago.
Pupils from Elgin have visited Lyteville Primary School, and vice versa, many times – with a recent trip seeing four pupils, including Slumko's son, build a toilet block.
"Elgin has been brilliant towards the school in South Africa," he said.
"The link between the two schools has done some beautiful things – and it's not just about money.
"It's about colleagues from here going there and colleagues from South Africa coming here. Everybody who visited changed professionally.
"Sometimes people view it as us helping the so-called third world, but we are not better than them, we only have better resources."
After his departure, Elgin Academy head teacher Kyle Scott thanked Mr Tsotsi for everything he's done in the school and wider community.
"It's hard to find the right words to do Slumko justice," he said. "His passion, enthusiasm and energy has never wavered, and nor has his passion for young people.
"He has led trips, contributed to countless school events and done a huge amount for pupils, even beyond our school.
"He'll leave a massive hole in Elgin and in our school. We can't thank him enough."
